Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i The Trapper

“When one door closes, another door opens.” Those are the beginning words of a quote from Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone (and, incidentally, the metal detector. Bet you didn’t know that.). Anyway, not so often quoted is the rest of Bell’s famous quote, which is: “…but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” It’s an old, tired saying in whole or part, and to our jaded 21st century ears accustomed to the daily horrors of the world news, it sounds naively optimistic. But naive or not, it’s true. We’re often so busy looking back at the closed door that we fail to see the open one ahead. In a previous life,…

For many trappers snaring is part of every season and often accounts for much of the trapline catch. Despite this, folks still doubt the power of wire and instead believe old folklore. But, if you’re tired of lugging steel and fighting frost, perhaps its time to give this useful tool a try. WHAT ONCE WAS Of course, the idea of capturing an animal with a noose is older than recorded history. Be it fur or food, a snare was the choice for those early hunters, and you can be sure that if snares didn’t work we wouldn’t still be using them today. There’s no room for failure when a tent full of hungry folks are counting on you to bring in supper! Early snares were leather or fibrous and worked…

If you are interested at all in predator and varmint hunting – whether it’s your first season, or your 50th season – this is the book you need! The Guidebook will teach you about the many different varmints and predators available to hunt around the country, in addition to the best tactics, rifles, handguns, optics, ammunition and more, to employ for hunting success. FEATURES: -Overview of the many species of varmints and predators in North America -Proven hunting and shooting tactics for the most popular species -Long-range shooting tips and tactics -Insights into the rifles, handguns, gear and optics used by top predator and varmint hunters, including suppressors and airguns -In-depth discussion of the best cartridges for predator and varmint hunting -Expert advice on handloading many popular cartridges -Equipment directory…

Night Eyes HL09 Smart Headlamp: Night Eyes is excited to introduce the new HL09 Smart Headlamp. This new headlamp is very similar to the popular HL08 single beam headlamp with one major difference. The HL09 has the ability to be controlled remotely with a wireless remote button. The user can easily turn the headlamp on or off and control the brightness by using the button attached to the headband, or by simply using the new remote button. The remote button can be mounted on a rifle, shotgun or anywhere the user would like. The user can choose to use the headband button or the remote button when transitioning over to the gun light in preparation for the shot. As with all Night Eyes headlamps, it is rechargeable, compact, lightweight and…

The highest number of calls that animal damage control (ADC) trappers receive are often for problem skunks. Many homeowners and landowners either do not want to take on the task of removing a skunk, or they don’t know how to. That is where the expertise of an ADC trapper comes in. I am going to share some of my experiences removing skunks. As far as what traps are best for ADC skunk trapping, any raccoon-size cage trap will work great. There are many brands on the market, so choose the one that best fits your needs. Another option is a small, round cage trap. The small size of the trap prevents the skunk from raising its tail. If it is not able to raise its tail, it will not be…

One of the most enjoyable aspects of trapping different furbearers is the different habitat that they live in. This is especially true in the West where I trap. I can pursue coyotes on the high plains and then find myself trapping bobcats in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I think the total experience of the scenery and the animals is what makes the trapping experience so enjoyable. In fact, I like all aspects of trapping different furbearers. It doesn’t matter if I find myself on a creek trapping beaver or in an alpine forest pursuing martin. It’s all good. Bobcat trapping in particular is enjoyable for me. I think it’s a challenge and the nature of the animal that makes cats so enjoyable to pursue. There have been many…

Arkansas Trappers Association www.arkansastrappers.org President — Wayne Watson, 1482 Leesburg Ave., Springdale, AR 72764; 479-283-7004, president@arkansastrappers.org Vice President — Danny Ross, 401 Japonica Lane, Hot Springs, AR 71901; 501-844-5091, drossscoutmaster@aol.com Secretary/Treasurer — Karen Fuller, 7611 White Oak Road, Mulberry, AR 72947; 479-221-4416, secretary@arkansastrappers.org NTA Director — Mike Fischer, 13823 Masoner Road, Lonsdale, AR 72087; 501-939-2325 Editor — Eric Kindsfater, ekindsfater@gmail.com Membership Options: • Individual membership — $13 • Family membership — $18 Complete membership application on first page of association section and send dues to: ATA, Secretary/Treasurer Karen Fuller, 7611 White Oak Road Mulberry, AR 72947; 479-221-4416 EDITOR’S REPORT It’s that time of year again - leaves are changing colors here and cooler temps are more prevalent. Sure does make for happy trappers. The annual Arkansas Trappers Workshop was held…

JAN 13: Tioga County Trappers Association Fur Sale 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Owego, NY. Contact Bill Swager 607-222-8554 or Mike Verry 607-427-5589. JAN 19: Idaho Trappers Association Fur Sale Elmore County Fairgrounds, Glenns Ferry, Idaho. Contact Rusty Kramer, (208) 870-3217, idahotrapguy@hotmail.com. JAN 25-26: Upper Snake River Trappers of Idaho Blackfoot Fur Sale at Snake River Jr. High School. Contact Jon Contor (208-317-6162) or Todd Smith (208-315-0299). JAN 26: Tioga County Trappers Association Annual Dish To Pass Dinner. Owego, NY. Contact Bill Swager 607-222-8554 or Mike Verry 607-427-5589. FEB 16: Pennsylvania Trappers Association District 2 Annual Fur Sale. 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Burnt Ridge Bow and Gun Club, 493 Cowansville Rd., Cowansville, PA. Membership is not required, but there is a 4% commission to sell fur. A…

Back in my early years of learning to trap, and like most kids just beginning, I targeted muskrats that just seemed to be wherever there was water. But, my main goal was to catch the elusive mink. And 30 years ago, as a young trapper, I did not see a lot of mink, but somehow managed to catch one in a coon set. It didn’t matter to me what I caught the shy animal in, I was tickled pink. Would I ever be a good enough trapper to catch several mink in a season? I sure hoped so. I treated mink trapping as if it was only for experienced trappers, when I was a youngster. I practiced scent control with these traps just as I did with my coyote traps.…

Nothing in hunting is quite as exciting as luring wary quarry into range through calling. In basic terms, predator calling is usually nothing more than the promise of an easy meal. For this reason, 95 percent of predator calling involves distress calls of common prey species; rodent squeaks, the blood-curdling squalls of rabbits being torn limb from limb, or bawling deer or pronghorn fawns separated from mama or caught in fence wire. Others, such as coyote-howl locator calls, are designed to illicit responses and get you on track faster, act as confidence builders in hard-hunted areas or attract attention during late-winter breeding seasons. But there is more to successful predator calling than just calling. This is a multifaceted program in which the smallest parts are important to the bigger picture.…